A cracked mind lets in more light

“Thinking outside the box might be facilitated by having a somewhat less intact box,” says Dr Ullén about his new findings.”

Wain's Kaleidoscope Cat, #3 in the series

Thanks to Aleksandr Voinov for this article about the similarity between the brains of “creatives” and schizophrenics. There’s another similar article about “odd behavior” and creativity going hand in hand. And then there’s the field of neurotheology. It blows my mind, the incredible diversity of wiring from individual to individual, and the wonderful ways in which that diversity manifests itself in the world.

Wain's Kaleidoscope Cat, #6 in the series

I’ve always been fascinated by Louis Wain’s kaleidoscope cats. It’s been argued that the pictures depict Wain’s mental deterioration (he was hospitalized for schizophrenia, though Asperger’s Syndrome, toxiplasmosis, and visual agnosia have also been retrospectively theorized). Though there’s no arguing that whatever the truth of Wain’s condition, this series of paintings are arresting, beautiful, and utterly fascinating.